Well point



Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,587

T. F. MOORE WELL POINT Filed Sept. 29.' 1925 EA I .E 2, 7 .5

,7 T To RNEYS Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES "rHoMAs r. MOORE, or MORRIS PLAINS, NEW JERSEY.

WELL POINT.

Application filed September 29, 1925. Serial No. 59,318.

This invention relates to a well pointof the class set forth in my application qerial No. 754,617, filed December 8, 1924:, and formally allowed under date of July 6, 1925, for removing seepage water from trenches and other excavations or depressions as may be required for the laying of sewer pipes, water mains and other sub-Way conduits or for the erection of foundations for various superstructures.

In the use of a device ofthis characterpreparatory to the excavations it is necessary to make a hole in the ground of sufiicient size to permit the well point to be inserted to the proper depth.

This 'may be accomplished by projecting a'jet of water under high pressure into the ground where the well point is to be inserted and when the hole is made to the desired depth withdrawing the jet nozzle and then inserting the well point into the hole thus formed and connectlng the pipe extension of the well point to a suitable suction device for withdrawing the water which may seep into the hole until the surrounding ground is snfiiciently dehydrated to permit the necessary excavations and constructive work therein. 7

The main object of the present invention is to permit the well point and its extension pipe to be used for the double purpose of projecting a jet of water under pressure Into the ground for forming a hole, inserting the well point into the hole as it is being formed by the projection of water therethrough under pressure and when projected to the desired depth using the same well point and its extension pipe for withdrawing the water from the hole and the surrounding ground until it is sufliciently dry to permit excavation and constructive work therein.

Another object is to construct the well point in such manner that it may be-used for jetting water through dry sand or other soil which tends to absorb the projected jet of water for making a hole of suificient de th therein to receive the well point in addition to its other function of withdrawing the moisture from the soil as the excavation and constructive work progresses.

Other objects and uses relating to specificv parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a well point.

embodying the various features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional 3-3, Figure 2, and lines 44, Figure 1.

As illustrated, this well point comprises a hollow upright shell 1 of cast iron or other suitable metal which is. mainly oval in cross section and is divided through itslonger diameter to form opposed sections -2 and 2- having outwardly projecting flanges 3- along their meeting edges clamped together byrivets 4 or equivalentfastem ing means.

The lower end of the shell 1'- is tapered to form a nozzle through which water under pressure may be projected under suflicient pressure to form a hole in the ground when the nozzle is applied thereto and thus permitting the shell to be readily sunk into said hole as it is deepened by the continuous jetting of the water therein.

The upper end of the section 2' is preferably made in the form of a half hexagon for receiving one side and the opposite edges of a screen supporting strip 5- of wood or equivalent material, the inner face of said strip being substantially flat while the strip as a whole is shown as locatedwholly at one side of the meeting edges of the sections 2- and 2 shown in Figure 2. i

The upper end of the section 2- is somewhat semi-circular in cross section and just below this semi-circular portion is provided with a hollow bracket -6 projecting inwardly from the outer wall thereof and preferably integral therewith for receiving the lower. end of an upright pipe 7- which together with the wooden strip 5-- extends any suitable height above the upper end of the shell -1 according to the depth to which it may be desired to insertthe well point in the ground, it being understood that these extensions 1-5- and 7 may be continued indefinitely as may be necessary for different conditions of the ground or for varying depths of the constructive work.

The lower end of the pipe 7 1s preferably threaded externally and engaged with internally threaded walls in the upper end \material extending from end to end of the of the hollow bracket 6 as shown in Figure 2 for holding the hollow section 1 and pipe in fixed relation against relative endwise or lateral movement.

The lower end of the wooden strip 5 is firmly secured to and within the upper end of the shell 1 by screws -8- or equivalent fastening means for holding those parts in fixed relation against relative endwise or lateral movement.

The inner fiat face of the wooden strip --5-- and adjacent side of the pipe -7- preferably abut against each other to act as mutual reinforcements. The wooden strip 5- is of somewhat greater width trans versely than the diameter of the pipe 7- s.) as to extend equal distances beyond its line of contact with the adjacent side of the pipe and thereby to form intervening spaces between said line of contact and the side walls of the shell 1.

hen the wooden strip 5 and pipe --T are brought into the relation just described they are bound together by a screen 9' of burlaps or other water pervious Wooden strip 5 and also a part of the length of the pipe -7 except where said pipe is threaded into the upper end of the hollow bracket 6 as shown in Figure 2, said screen having its ends secured to the opposite upright edges of the wooden strip -5 by means of nails --10 or other suitable fastening means so that when the wooden strip 5 and pipe 7- are assembled in the shell --1, the lower edges of the screen 9 will be impinged between the opposite upright beveled edges of the strip -5- and adjacent sides of the shell section -2 while the lower end of the intermediate portion of said strip will be similarly impinged between the outer side of the adjacent portion of the pipe -7-- and contiguous wall of the shell section -2 as shown more clearly in Figure 3.

The upper end of the hollow bracket terminates a suflicient distance below the upper end of the shell 1 to permit proper insertion and securement of the lower end of the wooden strip '-5 within the upper end of said shell, said strip hav ing its lower edge -11- beveled upwardly and inwardly from its outer face to form a water passage -12 communicating with the spaces between opposite sides of the pipe -7 and adjacent walls of the shell 1-.

When the fabric screen 9 is wrapped around the pipe --7 and edges of the wooden strip s5 the opposite sides thereof extend from the outer face of the pipe toward the strip in transversely diverging planes so as to form vertical passages "13- communicating at their lower ends with the passage 12 for a described.

each of the sections '2 and 2 posite sides of the meeting faces of'said' purpose hereinafter hollow bracket t3 extends a suflicient The upper end of the hollow bracket 6 projects beyond the meeting faces of the sections -2 and 2 but in. spaced relation to the outer wall of the section 2' to form an intervening passage 14 communicating with the lower end of the passage 12-, the remaining portion of the inner wall of the bracket being inclined downwardly and outwardly and is spaced apart from the outer wall of the section -2 to form an intervening passage l5 which communicates at its upper end with the lower end of the pipe 7-, Figure 2.

The intermediate portion of the shell 1 is provided with vertically spaced horizontal partitions -16-- and .-'-17 having ports or openings 18- and 19 therethrough respectively controlled by float valves -20 and 21.

The partition l6 is located some distance below the lower endof the wooden strip -5- and slightly above the lower end of the bracket '6-- and'is formed partly on each of the sections 2 and 2' at opposite sides of the longitudinal division between said sections and thereby forms the lower wall of the chamber''14-'-.

The partition 17- is also partly on at opsections and some distance below the partition 16- to form therewith an intervening valve chamber -22--- which communicates with the lower end of the passage 15 at one side of the valve opening -18-.and also communicates with both of the valve openings 1 8- and -19 when the ball valves 20- and -21 are opened. t

The valve --20-- is ofgreater diameter than the opening 18- and is adapted to seat against the underside of the walls of saidopening when closed by the upward pressure of water accumulating in the shell -1 but in the absence of such pressure may fall by its own weight upon the partition -17 but when opened is prevented from closing the opening --19by a projection --23- on the interior of the shell section '2. r

In like manner the ball valve 21 in the lower valve-chamber is of greater diameter than its opening -l9 and is adapted to seat from the underside against the walls of said opening when buoyed upwardly by water pressure in the 'shell l but in the absence of such pressure may dropiby its own weight from its seat against suitable underlying shoulders 24- projecting inwardly from the walls of the shell 1 some distance below the valve when closed as shown in Figure 2.

The. lower end of the inside wall of the ;serted thereinto to any depth desired and wheninserted to the proper depth the water under pressure may be shut off and the device connected to a suction pump or equivalent mechanism for withdrawing the water from the hole and from the soil surrounding the same.

For example, in case the condition of the soil is such as to prevent the easy entrance of the well point thereinto the lower end of the well point will be placed with its nozzle against the ground at the place where it is to enter and the upper end of the pipe -7 will be connected to a source of water supply under pressure allowing the water to pass downwardly through the pipe and thence through the passage 15 into the chamber -22 thereby closing the valve 20 against its seat in the partition 16'- and opening the valve 2l to allow the water to pass downwardly through the lower end or nozzle of the well point to displace the underlying soil and thus permit the device to gradually sink into the hole, this operation being continued until the lowerend or some portion of the screen 9' is brought 'to or below the level of the water seepage at which time the water pressure will be shut oil from the pipe 7 and the latter will be connected to a suction pump or equivalent device for withdrawing the water which may pass through the screen into the shell 1.

lhat is, when the device has been sunk to the desired depth the seepage water will pass through the screen 9 and thence thru the passages 13 and 12 into the chamber 14= while the suction produced in the pipe 7-- and passage 15- com municating therewith and with the chamber 22- will cause the valve ,-QO, to open and allow the seepage water in the chamber -14: to be withdrawn through the opening --18 and thence through the chamber ,22 and passage 15- and out through the pipe 7 to the suction pump where it is discharged some distance remote from the place of entrance of the well point into the ground.

During this operation of withdrawing the screened water by suction from the shell 1 the valve -21-- will be closed against its seat in the partition 17 to prevent the entrance of sand and other foreign matter into the chamber 22 thereby assuring the free operation of the pump in withdrawing the water from the surrounding ground exclusive of any foreign matter which might interfere with the free operation of the device.

It will be noted that the cross sectional form of the bracket 6 gradually changes from a circular form at the top for re- (-ei'ving a pipe to a relatively narrow but crescent shaped form at the bottom but of substantially the same cross sectional area so as to maintain a freeflow of the water therethrouglr and at the same time affords a sufiicient space for the operation of the valve 20 without in any way enlarging or altering the external diameter of the shell 1.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for draining water-containing soil, I a shell adapted to be inserted into the soil and provided with a main passage therethrough from end to end for receiving water under pressure and a branch passage leading from the main passage through the upper end of the shell for re ceiving seepage water from the soil, and a valve controlling the seepage passage.

2. In a device for draining water-containing soil, a shell adapted tobe inserted into the soil and having its upper end provided with a screened inlet passage and an outlet passage, said outlet passage being adapted to be connected to a means for producing suction therein, said inlet pas sage and outlet passage being connected to each other through a port, and a valve adapted to be operated by the entrance of water into the shell to close, said port and to automatically open when suction is applied to the outlet to permit the seepage water within the shell to be drawn fromthe inlet into the outlet.

3. In a device of the character described,

a shell adapted to be inserted into .the soil and provided with valve-chambers at difr'erent levels connected by a port, the upper valve chamber having separate passages leading therefrom through the upper end of the shell, the lower valve chamber having an inlet passage in its upper end and an unobstructed outlet passage in its lower end and a float valve controlling said port.

4. In a device of the character described, a shell adapted to be inserted into the soil and provided with separate valve chambers at different levels, the upper valve chamber having separate passages leading therefrom through the upper end of the shell and connected by a port, a float valve controlling said port, the lower valve-chamber having an outlet in its lower end connected by a port to the upper valve chamber, and a valve controlling the last-named port.

5. Ina device of the character described,

a shell having valve chambers at different levels connected to each'other through a port, the lower valve chamber having an port and adapted to be closed by the rise of' ater in the shell, a separate float valve controlling one of said branch passages and adapted to be closed by the rise of Water in the shell, the other branch passage being adapted to be connected to a source of water supply under pressurefor opening the first-named valve and permitting the passage of Water through the outlet into the soil to make a hole therein for the reception of the shell and to simultaneously close the second-named valve, said other branch passage being 'also adapted to be.

connected to a means for producing suction therein for closing the first-named valve and opening the second-named valve to allow the seepage Water accumulating in the shell to be withdrawn from the first-named branch thence outwardly through the second-named branch passage.

6. In a device of the character described, a shell adapted to be inserted in the soil and provided with valve chambers connected by a port, one of said valve chambers having anoutlet leading therefrom through the lower end of the shell, the other valve chamber having separate branch passages leading therefrom through the upper end of the shell,,and separate float valves for said port and one of said branch passages respectively.

7 In a device of the character described, a shell adapted to be inserted in, the soil and providedwith valve chambers connected by a port, one of said valve chambers having an outlet leading therefrom through the lower end of the shell, the other valve chamber having separate branch passages leading therefrom through the upper end of the shell, separate float valves for said portand one of the branch passages re spectively, and a screen covering one of said branch passages.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of September 1925.

. THOMAS F. MOORE. 

